UMass campus food ranked 2nd in US

AMHERST — Moving up from the third spot the past two years, the University of Massachusetts is now ranked second nationally for best campus food by The Princeton Review’s 2015 edition of “The Best 379 Colleges.”

“Unlike students at many universities, UMass students rave about the ‘delicious food’ in the dining commons,” says the guide. “‘The quantity, quality and diversity for food options are awesome,’ one student says.”

The Princeton Review’s rankings of the top 20 schools in 62 categories are based on surveys of 130,000 students attending the colleges.

“We’re thrilled with the ranking,” said Ken Toong, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises at UMass Amherst. “Thanks to the support of our students — they are the best customers in the world. We love them and they are the cheerleaders of our program. Credit also goes to our staff, managers and Chancellor Subbaswamy and his leadership team. They make UMass Dining what it is today. We will continue to serve even more sustainable, healthy and delicious food everyday.”

The ranking is the latest in a string of honors for UMass Amherst’s Dining Services, which has been recognized nationally for its sustainability initiatives, nutrition programs and promotions and special events. Several Dining Services chefs have also earned top honors in regional and national competitions in recent months.

Last January, UMass Amherst was recognized as the top spot in the country for collegiate dining in 2013 by the website UniversityPrimetime.com.